Pleasant Hall firefighters to mourn 1 of their own

Pleasant Hall firefighter Ron Keefer Sr. died on Saturday after an accident occurring at his home when he was off-duty. According to Fire Chief Dale Meyers III, Keefer was doing work around the house on his farm tractor when it rolled over, trapping him underneath.

When crews arrived at his home, they found Keefer deceased. According to a press statement, they spent several hours recovering him from the scene.

Keefer first worked for the Pleasant Hall Fire Department in the 1970s, according to the statement, but left 25 years ago for military service. In recent years, he had returned to the department and was extremely active, earning the firefighter of the year award in 2012. Keefer had 101 fire calls that year, which was one of the top numbers for the house.

"He was a very great guy to have around," Meyers said. "And he's sorely going to be missed."

According to the department statement, there will be a viewing at Fogelsanger-Bricker Funeral Home, 112 W. King St., Shippensburg, on Thursday, Oct. 10 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. A service will be held at Fogelsanger-Bricker Memorial Home on Friday, Oct. 11 starting at 1 p.m., and a procession will travel from the home to Parklawns Memorial Gardens, 3218 Philadelphia Ave., Chambersburg, after the service.

The Keefer family chose to have a Firefighter's Service. All fire departments other than Pleasant Hall will be staged at the Gardens.